Thursday, December 1, 2011

Join the YA Scavenger Hunt...

So if you've made it this far, I probably don't need to tell you how cool the YA Scavenger Hunt is, right??? But in case you don't already know, this is a fabulous sneak peek into what’s coming up in YA literature that runs from Dec 1 - Dec 4th.

Each author on the hunt is hosting another author’s bonus material (mine is out there on someone else's blog!) AND a link to the next step of the hunt. Take a couple of hours and work your way through the entire circuit collecting the words in red and entering all of the different contests you will find along the way.

For this stop on the Scavenger Hunt, I’m hosting author Jessica Shirvington, author of the upcoming EMBRACE.

About Jessica:

How many of us can say we fell in love at seventeen? A lot of us. But how many of us stayed in love? Jessica Shirvington has been lucky enough to meet and marry the man she fell in love with at seventeen. Born and raised in Sydney, Australia, Jessica is married to former Olympic sprinter, five-time National 100m champion, and current sports personality with Australia’s Foxtel and Sky News, Matthew Shirvington.

Married for almost eleven years with two beautiful daughters, Sienna and Winter, Jessica believes her early age romance and its longevity has definitely contributed to how she tackles relationships in her YA novels.

At age nineteen, Jessica opened and managed her first restaurant in Sydney, and then, while she and Matt were living in London, founded a fine food import and distribution company, Stella Imports, in 2003.Moving back to Australia and searching for a creative outlet after the birth of her second child, Jessica started on her path to writing. Although a long-time lover of creative writing and poetry, Jessica had never considered the possibility of making writing her career. But with some time away from work, she finally had an opportunity to explore her potential. The result is her debut novel, EMBRACE, which marks the start of Violet Eden’s story.

Jessica says: “Writing EMBRACE was an amazing journey for me. Discovering Violet and the other characters in the book has been my delight. The first draft just came together so quickly. I remember starting one day and then, six weeks later I was looking at something that had the makings of a book (I hoped). It took plenty of re-drafts but that, along with the copious amounts of research, the editing, proofing, all of it, has been such an awesome experience.”

When asked why she chose to write young adult fiction, Jessica says: “I never considered writing anything other than YA. The reason is simple — they’re the books I choose to and love to read myself. YA books have the amazing opportunity to be there for a character’s ultimate turning point — to be there for the moments that will shape their adult future. That makes them really special.”

About EMBRACE:

Violet Eden is dreading her seventeenth birthday dinner. After all, it’s hard to get too excited about the day that marks the anniversary of your mother’s death. The one bright spot is that Lincoln will be there. Sexy, mature and aloof, he is Violet’s idea of perfection. But why does he seem so reluctant to be anything more than a friend?

After he gives her the world’s most incredible kiss – and then abandons her on her front doorstep – Violet is determined to get some answers. But nothing could have prepared her for Lincoln’s explanation: he is Grigori – part angel and part human – and Violet is his eternal partner.

Without warning, Violet’s world is turned upside down. She never believed in God, let alone angels. But there’s no denying the strange changes in her body ... and her feelings for Lincoln. Suddenly, she can’t stand to be around him. Luckily, Phoenix, an exiled angel, has come into her life. He’s intense and enigmatic, but at least he never lied to her.

As Violet gets caught up in an ancient battle between dark and light, she must choose her path. The wrong choice could cost not only her life, but her eternity...

EMBRACE is now (or soon to be) available in the U.S., UK, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Brazil and Turkey.

Jessica's offering you a peek at a deleted scene from EMBRACE over on the EMBRACE Facebook page (where you can also enter an exclusive giveaway)!

YA Scavenger Hunt CONTEST

As an extra bonus we’ve put together a puzzle with one keyword found on each website. Complete it and you will be eligible for a fantastic GRAND PRIZE which will include signed editions of books, signed bookmarks, jewelry, and many more exclusive gifts with at least one gift from EVERY AUTHOR!

Directions: Search for the 37 keywords—one on each Scavenger Hunt website—that are highlighted in RED. When you are finished, go here to the puzzle form, where you will find a list of scrambled keywords. Put your keywords in the same order as the scrambled ones—from #1 to #37—and paste that list into the entry form.

Rules: To be eligible for the grand prize, you must submit the completed puzzle form before noon on Dec 4th Pacific Time. All the keywords must be included and you must include your full name and address. Entries sent in without name and address will not be considered! The contest is international.